When social media really is social

In the wake of Budget Day here in the UK, Sister Catherine Wybourne, with her usual deft theological touch, issued a call for a sense of perspective yesterday. She reminded her readers that any economic hardship faced here is as nothing compared to the situation in Greece.

In May 2010 Yorgos Kleivokiotis,  a Greek national living in Dubai, decided to try to do something about it. He founded Up Greek Tourism  to encourage tourists from around the world to visit the country and thereby contribute to the economy.  This year he has been joined by others, and in just 20 days over $20,000 dollars has been raised from people around the world to fund an electronic billboard in Times Square to advertise the campaign.The billboard launches today, and you can see it’s content below.

I love the way the designers have used images of the hundreds who have joined the campaign in order to render the photos. In so doing there is a parable, surely, of the digital collaboration which has brought it about? See what you think..

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck0Ua4Mg2aw&w=560&h=315]